Into the Beyond Books 1-3

There were just eight kids on Lewis's bus. Only freshman and sophomores under the age of sixteen who didn't have their driver's licenses yet took buses home. Most of those took the city metro buses. Students who lived in areas that the metro buses didn't cover were the only ones who had to take the yellow school buses. If there were any fewer kids in Lewis's area, they probably would have had a van picking them up and dropping them off.

Lewis sat at the back of the bus across the aisle from his sister. No one else was aware of Landon's accident around the corner of the school.

"What happened to you?" asked Jenny. "You look weird."

Lewis shook his head. "Nothing. I'm fine." There wasn't anything he could say about his current predicament that wouldn't make him sound insane. They rode in silence for several minutes before Lewis got the bright idea to see if his sister knew anything about the Native American girl who'd snuck him the warning note.

Despite being unpopular, Lewis knew everyone in the sophomore class by sight if not by name. He didn't recognize the girl at all, so unless she was new, she must have been his sister's year and simply in advanced science placement.

"Hey, Jen?" he asked. She glanced over at him. "Is there a Native girl your year that might be in my chem class?"

Jenny raised an eyebrow. "There's only one that I know of that's my year. She was in advanced math in middle school, so I guess she's pretty smart. She could be in chem, I suppose. Why do you ask?"

"No reason, just curious," said Lewis.

Jenny continued to watch him incredulously. She was going to make him fish for more information, he just knew it. After another minute of silence he finally caved.

"Do you know her name?" he asked.

"Mhm," said Jenny. She didn't offer it to him.

"Are you going to tell me what it is?"

Jenny rolled her eyes. "I can see the phone number on your palm, duffus. You expect me to believe you got her number but not her name?"

Lewis closed his hand, hiding Kenzie's phone number. "That's not hers," he said. "I was just curious, geez." Jenny could be exasperating.

She was grinning now. "I'm impressed," she said. "You really made the most out of today, didn't you!?"

Lewis grimaced. More than you know.

"Fine, I'll tell you," she said. "Her name is Josie Mays. You should know, though, she has a bit of a reputation.... You'd be better off with whatever girl drew that tiny, teensy-weensy, cutie-pie heart on your palm."

Lewis buried his hand deep in his pocket.

"It's cute seeing you with a crush," said Jenny. "So... tell me more about Heart-Girl. Who is she?"

Lewis narrowed his eyes. "First, tell me more about Josie," he said.

Jenny shook her head dismissively. "You should seriously forget about Josie. Everyone knows she's weird. Most people my year avoid her. There's a rumor she killed her parents or something and that's why she lives with her grandfather now."

It was Lewis's turn to look incredulous.

Jenny elaborated. "I mean not like she slashed their throats or anything, but like they died in a car crash when she was little and it was her fault somehow. Only Josie lived."

Lewis balked at the insinuation. "So a little girl tragically loses her parents in a car accident and your entire class decides that makes her weird and ostracizes her for the rest of her life?"

"I mean..." Jenny stumbled over her words. "It's not like that. She just.... She acts weird and stuff. I don't know. I just know no one really hangs out with her because she's really odd."

"Mhm," said Lewis. "The same way I'm 'so weird'?"

Jenny gawked at him. "Don't bite my head off. I was just trying to do you a favor. If you don't start raising your status, high school's going to suck for you. Associating with Josie Mays can only make things worse.... I'm not trying to be mean—it's just the way things are."

Lewis wasn't impressed with his sister's mentality. Sometimes he wondered if his lack of social skills was actually just a symptom of his disdain for putting up with immature, fake people. He never enjoyed the types of drama-filled games his peers were always playing with one another. It was much easier to bury himself in a good book or movie than it was to attempt to navigate the adolescent hell of high school gossip. Most kids his age were insufferable.

"Would you happen to know where Josie lives?" he asked.

Jenny frowned. "Who's Heart-Girl?" she asked stubbornly.

Lewis sighed. He knew she wasn't going to let it go.

"Kenzie Spencer."

Jenny's eyes grew to the size of saucers. "Wow," she said, "I wasn't expecting that. Are you sure it's really hers?"

Lewis answered with a blank stare.

"I'm kidding," she said. "Nice going. Aiming high. Hope you don't fly too close to the sun."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence."

Jenny merely laughed.

"So... Josie's address?" he reiterated. Jenny began studying his face, clearly confused as to why he was so curious about Josie when he had a shot at possibly being with Kenzie. He felt like he was being dissected under a microscope, the way she looked at him. He quickly made up a lie. "She accidentally left her chemistry book behind in class and I need to give it back to her so she can do her homework," he said. He hoped the excuse for his inquiry would make Jenny stop being so irritatingly difficult.

She continued studying Lewis's face for a moment longer but ultimately gave in. "She lives really close to us actually—just down past the creepy house a couple blocks. We're gunna drive right by it. I'll point it out."

Jenny never made things easy.

"Kenzie Spencer..." she mused, a permanent smirk etched into her face.

Jenny did as she promised, pointing out Josie's house as the bus drove past. Lewis did his best to memorize the location. He needed answers, and Josie was the only person he knew of who might have some. After getting off the bus in front of his house he ditched Jenny to go pay Josie a visit.

He walked quickly down his street, passing the creepy house without paying it much thought. The house, lovingly dubbed the creepy house, was a dilapidated structure, abandoned for many years. Its paint was peeling and faded from the weather. Tall grass covered the whole property. The mailbox was gone, or buried in the brush, and many of the house's windows were broken out and boarded shut. Kids sometimes dared one another to break into it because of an urban legend that a serial killer once lived there. It was said that his ghost still haunted the grounds. Lewis didn't believe any of that nonsense, but he still got a little creeped out if he ever walked past it on the near side of the street.

After passing the creepy house, it only took a few short minutes before he was on Josie's street. Her house was on the right. Its distinctive red bricks, unusual for the area, made it impossible to miss. While approaching the house, he could see Josie through a second story window. She was talking to someone and didn't appear to notice Lewis as he stepped up onto the front porch. He rapped his knuckles against the wooden door. An older man, presumably Josie's grandfather, answered the door with a frown on his face.

"Good afternoon, Mr. Mays," said Lewis, "I was wondering if I could speak to Josie?"

Josie's grandfather looked Lewis up and down without saying a word.

"We're in chemistry together..." Lewis added.

"Josie's not home," said Mr. Mays. He shut the door in Lewis's face with an abrupt slam that made him stumble back in surprise. There wasn't a chance to mount any kind of protest.

Lewis was certain he'd seen Josie in the window upstairs.

Weird, thought Lewis, maybe Jenny is right about this family.

He wasn't used to adults being so impolite to him. It was more than a little unnerving. He felt his hands begin to shake as a sudden spike of adrenaline coursed through his veins—his body's too-late response to the shock of the rude dismissal.

He clenched his fists as he walked back out to the street. He shot one last glance up at Josie's window. He couldn't see her anymore and the light was off now. Given the fearful look on her face when she saw Mr. Gray earlier in class, Lewis supposed he couldn't really blame her for wanting to avoid him

The lack of answers was disheartening as he headed back home. He gave the brick house one last curious glance from down the street.

What do you know, Josie Mays?

He didn't have any more time to ponder his predicament or the nature of Mr. Gray, as the creature was waiting for him on his bed when he arrived back at home.

"Right on time," said Mr. Gray. "Tonight is such fun," he squealed.

A nervous knot formed in Lewis's belly. After what happened to Landon, Mr. Gray's idea of fun was the last thing Lewis wanted to experience again.